Display-curtain holder and repository.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.V T. J. MOELHENIE. DISPLAY CURTAIN HOLDER AND RBPOSITORY.

APPLICATION YILED JULY 3, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

W J TNEsSES;

NITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904. Y

PATENT OFFICE.

DISPLAY-CURTAIN HOLDER AND REPOSITORY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,373, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed July 3, 1903. Serial No. 164,233. (No model.)

To /l/N U17/mn it lrbrty concern,.-

Be it known that LTnoMAs J. MeELI-UGNIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montpelier, in the county of ll'villiams and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Curtain Holders and Repositories; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in display-cabinets, and especially is designed as a display-curtain holder and repository.

1t consists in a cabinet formed with a series of c i mpartments having doors for closing them and means for holding' the curtains over materials of various colors for displaying them.

lt also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying' drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved displaycabinct, sl'iowing the hinged frames at its corners and having one ot' its doors open. Fig. Q is a detail perspective view of a portion of one corner of the cabinet, showing the manner in which the doors of the cabinet-compartments are mounted. Fig. 3 is a detail view in section, showing the manner in which the doors slide into the casing.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a cabinet with proper means for storing curtains or other goods and providing the said cabinet with means for disl'ilaying said curtains to a good advantage.

The cabinet comprises a closure l, which is formed with a series of compartments 2 within its walls, which compartments are closed by swinging members 3. To the walls of the cabinet l, and preferably at the corners thereof, are hinged frames 4, which are provided with nlaterial--such as paper, cloth, or other thin fabrics---which may be highly colored, so that curtains or other thin cloths may be thrown over the same or suspended upon the frames in front of the said screens to display them to good advantage.

A simple manner of formingand mounting the frames is illustrated in Fig. i in the drawings, each frame being made of a rim portion 5, which is provided with hinged portions 6 along one edge, the said member 6 engaging rods 7, which extend through apertures therein and also through apertures or bearings in lugs or projections 8, carried by the cabinet.

These lugs or hinged portions 8 are preferably secured to the corners of the cabinet and at such an angle to the sides thereof that the display-frames -L may be folded snugly against the side walls of the cabinet when desired. The colored materials 9, of paper, thin material, or the like, are preferably stretched upon the frame 4, being secured within the edges thereof by any suitable fasteners, as 10. '.lhe frame also carries other fasteners, as l1, by which lace or other curtains may be stretched upon the said frames over the highlycolored materials to display the same over the different colors. Since the frames swing' freely, it will be apparent that different curtains may be displayed upon the opposite sides of the frames, and it will also be apparent that two different-colored fabrics or papers can be suspended on the same frame, so that one color is on one side, while another is on the other side. The curtains instead of being stretched upon the frames si may, it' desired, be merely hung or draped upon the frames 4 for displaying them.

The compartments 2 within the cabinet are formed by means ot' horizontal partitions 12, which extend out to a point near the front edge of the cabinet. Each compartment is provided with a door 3, by which it may be closed, and when the doors are open they are adapted to be slidinto the casing beneath each floor. The movement of the doors 8 is directed by grooves or guideways la, formed upon each side of the casing, preferably in the side walls thereof. The doors 3 carry at their end edges antifrictionrollers, as 15, which extend into the grooves 14 and guide the doors in their movement in and out. These rollers are preferably arranged near the inner or lower edges of the doors, so that when the doors are drawn outwardly the said rollers may act as pivot-points, upon which' IOO the doors may be turned upwardly into a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2. The antifriction-rollers 15 lie with their edges in planes parallel with the plane of the door, so that when the doors are lowered to a horizontal position, as shownin Fig. 3, the axes of said rollers are in a vertical position. At the front end of each guide-groove or passage-way 14 I place a detent or stop 16, which may consist in a piece of metal secured to the side of the casing,

bent or curved so as to partially close the.

end of the groove 14. By this means when the door is drawn outwardly to its full eX- tent the rollers 15 will engage the detents 16 and prevent the door from being entirely pulled out of said groove. The forward ends of the guide-grooves or passage-ways 14 are preferably somewhat enlarged, as at 17, to permit the rollers to be turned within said grooves. Each door when raised to its closed position is in a vertical plane, and its edges fit snugly within the walls of the compartments. When the door is to be opened, it is lowered and moved inwardly beneath the floor of the compartment any desired distance. The door can be pushed in to its full extent or may be permitted to project from the front of the compartment asufcient distance to Vform a shelf in front of the compartment, upon which the goods may be drawn out, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The doors may be provided with any suitable latches, as 21, for holding them in their vertical or closed positions, as shown in Fig. 2. The edges of the doors are preferably provided with strips of fabric, felt, or other material 22, projecting slightly over said edges, so as to completely close the crevices at the sides and ends of the door and close the same against the entrance of dust. In this manner the goods placed within the compartments are protected against the accumulation of dust and kept in good condition.

Vhile I have thus far described the cabinet as provided with one set of compartments, it will be evident that I may place one or more vertical partitions in the cabinet and employ a two or more vertically-arranged series of compartments provided with doors, the said doors being mounted and operated as above described and all within the spirit of the invention.

In using the cabinet curtains, goods of various sorts, and other fabrics may be stored in thecompartments of the cabinet, while the screens or frames 4 are swung compactly against the side-walls of said cabinet. When it is desired to display any of the goods, the hinged frame which is provided with the desired coloring is swungoutwardly, and the door of the compartment containing the curtains or other goods to be displayed is opened and pushed partially beneath its floor 12, so as to form an extension-support in front of said floor upon which the goods may be drawn outwardly from its compartments. The curtain or other fabric may be then stretched or spread upon the frame 4 over the goods or paper carried by the frame, so that the color of such screen may show through the curtain or other fabric being displayed. If desired, the curtain may be thrown loosely upon the frame or draped thereon, as may suit the taste of the party displaying the goods. When the display of the goods is unnecessary, it may be taken from the screen and replaced in the compartment, which may then be closed for preserving the goods without dust and without frames mounted upon the outer walls of thek said cabinet.

2. A display-cabinet comprising a closure provided with a series of movable floors forming goods-inclosing compartments, and display-frames hinged to the corners of said cabinet over which the goods to be displayed may be arranged.

3. A storing and display cabinet comprising a closure formed with aseries of double floors, combined doors and goods-supports mounted in said double floors, the said movable part forming a support when in a horizontal position and a door when raised to a vertical position.

4. A display and storing cabinet comprising a closure formed with a series of partitions forming superposed compartments, hinged doors for closing said compartments, the said doors being capable of sliding beneath the floors when the compartments are open.

` 5. A display-cabinet comprising a casing having compartments formed therein, doors for closing said compartments, grooves or guideways formed in the side walls of the casing in said compartments for guiding the doors as they are moved in and out in the compartments and antifriction-rollers carried by the end edges of the door for engaging the vertical walls of said grooves and directing the door in its movement.

6. A storing and displaying cabinet comprising a casing formed with goods-compartments therein, sliding doors for closing the same, guideways formed in the sides of each compartment for directing the sliding movement of the doors, antifriction-rollers mounted on the end edges of the doors having their axes perpendicular to the faces of the doors,

the edges of said rollers lying in a plane par- Ioo` IIO

allel with that of the door and stops or detents ISO a casing formed with compartments therein, grooves in each compartment at the sides thereof, doors for closing the said compartments when in a vertical position, the said doors when brought to a horizontal position being' capable of sliding in said grooves, antit'riction-rollers mounted upon the end edges of the doors and running ag'ainst the vertical walls of the grooves for directing' the movement o't' the doors, detent-pieces secured to the forward ends of the grooves and bent into the path of the side groove to limit the movement of the antifriction-rollers, the grooves being somewhat enlarged adjacent to said detents for permitting the rollers to act as pivotpoints when the doors are raised to a vertical position.

8. A display-cabinet comprising' a closure rectangular frames hinged to its corners, attaching' means carried by the frames so that materials may be secured to the sides of the frame for stretching' them upon the same, and means for securing colored materials upon the frame over which materials to be displayed may be placed.

9. A display-cabinet comprising' a series of l compartments, doors for closingthe compartments having a sliding' and pivotal action, guideways formed in the walls of said compartments, antifriction-rollers carried by the end edges of the doors and running against the vertical walls of thc said guideways, the said rollers acting' as pivot-points upon which the doors may be turned from a horizontalto a vertical position when closing the doors, and detents at the outer ends of said guideways for preventing the doors from being pulled entirely out of said grooves.

l0. A display-cabinet comprising' a closure, rectangular frames hinged to the walls of the closure, means carried by the sides of the frame for securing materials thereto and colored materials for covering the said frames, so as to display goods over various shades or colors.

ln testimony whereofl I hereunto atix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. MCELHENIE.

Vitnesses:

A. J. CROLL, C. A. A'rnN. 

